Learning to learn and learning to teach - introduction to studies in higher education.
BACKGROUND
How students are introduced to their studies will affect the quality of learning. This project deals with tools for lifelong learning to increase students' awareness of learning how to learn. In parallel to an introductory course for students, a course for teachers was given with a focus on tutoring students.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate an interprofessional transition course for first-year health science students, the LearnAble project, and a teachers' course aiming to support students to be successful in their learning.


METHODS
The project was followed up by a computer-based course evaluation, reflective journals, the Learning Process Questionnaire and the Approaches to Teaching Inventory. The questionnaires were distributed before and after the courses. Teachers (n = 31) and students (n = 270) in two courses from different health educations participated.


RESULTS
Students' approaches to the course and to learning could be described as technical/reproductive, seeking for an identity or as reflective/transformative. The evaluation indicates that a deep approach to the studies among the students was related to higher age and female gender. Teachers with earlier pedagogical education supported students more in the attempts to question their own understanding.


CONCLUSIONS
The most obvious result was the positive impact of being a tutor for a group of students in parallel to studying pedagogy.
Kjellgren
Karin I
KI
The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden. karin.kjellgren@sahlgrenska.gu.se
Hendry
Graham
G
Hultberg
John
J
Plos
Kaety
K
Rydmark
Martin
M
Tobin
Gunnar
G
Saljo
Roger
R
D003479:Curriculum; D005178:Faculty; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013663:Teaching; D014495:Universities